Millions of kids qualify for free school meals, but many don't get them because the enrollment process — called "direct certification" — doesn't always work smoothly between government programs and school districts. This bill would invest $28 million to fix that, with grants going to states and tribal organizations to upgrade their technology, improve coordination between benefit programs like SNAP and school lunch systems, and boost the number of eligible kids who are automatically enrolled. It also makes it easier for schools to qualify for the Community Eligibility Provision, which lets high-poverty schools serve free meals to all students without individual applications. At least $2 million is set aside specifically for tribal communities served by the food distribution program on Indian reservations.
Congressional Summary
School Modernization and Efficient Access to Lunches for Students Act of 2025 or the School MEALS Act of 2025This bill establishes programs and revises requirements relating to direct certification processes for the National School Lunch Program. Direct certification allows schools to use data matching procedures to approve school meals without the need for applications for children who receive assistance under other programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Agriculture to provide grants and technical assistance for states and tribal organizations to improve their direct certification processes, including with respect to children who receive assistance under a food distribution program on Indian reservations.The bill also expands the time frame for schools to elect and gather eligibility data for the Community Eligibility Provision. This provision permits schools in high-poverty areas to serve free meals to all enrolled students without the need for applications.Further, the bill specifies that a state subject to a continuous improvement plan (for not directly certifying at least 95% of children eligible for direct certification because they receive SNAP benefits) must implement the improvement measures within three years.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2025-12-17
- Date Added
- 2026-04-09